Buffing machine



April 30, 1935.

F. E. BERTRAND BUFF'INGA MACHINE Filed May 5l, 1953 E e574 l 14 12 Z4 9 WE/VTUQ.' A

Patented Aer. 3 0, 193s UNITED STATES PJ-IENTv OFFICE BUFFING MACHINE Application May 31, 1933, Serial No. 673,591

2 Claims.

This invention relates to builing machines and is herein disclosed as embodied in a machine intended more particularly for bufng shoe bottoms. It has been the custom hitherto to employ a cylindrical abrasive-covered roll for bufilng the relatively flat portions of shoe bottoms and, because the shank portion, by reason of its greater curvature and the proximity of the heel, can not always be satisfactorily presented to a cylindrical tool, to use a small disk-shaped tool, ordinarily referred to as a naumkeag, for buffing the shank portion.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a buiiing machine having a single buiilng tool adapted to operate upon the shank portions as well as upon the relatively flat portions of shoe` bottoms. In accordancevwith a feature of the invention, there is provided a form block, an abrasive belt supported against the pressure of the work by the form block, the form block having a sharply rounded portion for shaping the abrasive belt to operate upon the curved portion of the shanks of shoes and having also a relatively flat portion for supporting the abrasive belt for operation upon relatively fiat portions of shoe bottoms, and an iniiated belt interposed between the abrasive belt and the form block to cushion the abrasive belt. To prevent collapse of the inflated 'belt in its travel about the sharply rounded portion of the form block there is provided a plurality of relatively narrow ribs upon the interior surface of the inflated belt.

The above and other features of the invention, including details of construction, will now be more particularly described in reference to the accompanying drawing, in which K Fig. 1 is a view in end elevation of the improved machine; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line lI-II of Fig. 1.

The supporting structure of the machine consists of a frame I0, carrying at 'its upper portion a housing I2. J ournaled in bearings I4 which extend from the housing l2 is a shaft I6 which carries at one of its ends outside the housing I2 a pulley I8. A belt 20 driven from any suitable source of power passes around the pulley I8 and thus drives the shaft I6. Secured upon the shaft I6 within the housing I2 is a pulley 22. The housing I 2 has a forwardly extending portion 24 which is open at its forward end. Adjacent to the forward end of the extension 24 and extending part way across the interior thereof is a lug 26, which, in the illustrated machine, is integral with the extension 24. Adjustably threaded into the lug 24 is a shank 28 of a form block 30 which, in the illustrated machine, is of steel. A relatively flat, tubular, inflatable belt 32 of rubber passes over the pulley 22 and also over the form block 30. 'Ihe pulley 22 is surrounded by a rubber cover 23 to provide a friction surface for ldriving the in- 5 ilatable belt 32. The tension of the belt 32 may be regulated by turning the form block 30 in the lug 26. A lock nut 34 secures the shank 28 of the form block in its adjusted position. In order to hold the form block steady in its adjusted position, 10 the lug 28 is bored to receive a pin 31, and the shank 28 is provided with a cylindrical extension 35. I'he pin 31 is recessed cylindrically to accommodate the extension 35, and the outer end of the .pin is threaded for a nut 39. Tightening of the l5 nut 39 will ca use the recessed portion of the pin 31 to biid the extension 35 nrmly against the interior of the lug 26.

To prevent sagging of the upper run of the `eelt 32, there is provided a rounded block 36 20 engaging the under surface of the belt. The block 36 has a downwardly extending bracket 38 which is adjustably secured to the wall of the extension 24 by a bolt 40. The bracket 38 has formed in it a slot 42 to accommodate the bolt 25 40 for various positions of heightwise adjustment on the block 36.

The form block 30, as shown in Fig. 1, is wedge shaped, tapering from a relatively thick portion adjacent to the shank 28 to a relatively thin 30 rounded end 44. As shown in Fig. 2, the form blo'ck, at a locality 3| adjacent to its rounded end 44, is broadened to substantially the width of the inatable belt. In order to insure against y. collapse of the inflatable belt as it passes around 35 the end 44 of the form block a plurality of relatively narrow transverse ribs 46 are molded into thebelt, the ribs 46 extending from the opposite interior walls of the belt in staggered relation. An abrasive belt 48 is mounted upon the 40 outer surface of the inilatable belt 32. In order to prevent heating of the forward end 44 of the form block, there is formed in the forward end a plurality of grooves 50 which extend in the direction of travel of the belt. These grooves 45 provide air passages for the entrained air which is carried along by the belt. A Schradervalve 52 is positioned in one of the edges of the inflatable belt at a locality which is preferably countersunk. The belt 32 may thus be inated in the same 50 manner as a vehicle tire.

It will be noted that the housing I2, together with the extension 24, surrounds both of the belts except at the locality of the form block 30 which extends forwardly beyond the open end of the 55 extension 24. The housing, together with its extension, thus constitutes a dust hood. In order to provide a draft for carrying away dust which arises from the action of the abrasive belt upon the work, there is formed in the housing I2 a rearwardly extending outlet 54 which may be connected to a suction dust collecting system. It will be apparent that the pulley'22, which rotates in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, will tend to set up a current of air in the same direction. The outlet 54 is therefore displaced from the center of the pulley 22 in a manner similar to the outlet of an exhaust blower. This arrangement is particularly effective in enabling dust which/is shaken from the lower run of the abrasiveibelt to be carried through the outlet 54 without change of direction of its path of travel. f

In operation, the forepart of a shoe bottom may conveniently be presented to the under sur face of the abrasive belt 48 at a point adjacent to the end 44 of the form block. This portion of the form block is relatively flat, enabling a large area of the forepart to be buffed at once. For operating upon the more inaccessible portions of the shank of the shoe, the abrasive belt 48 is utilized directly over the sharply rounded end 44 of the form block. Because of the exceedingly small radius of curvature of the end 44 of the form block, and because of the yielding, resilient quality ofthe inflatable belt 32, there is no difficulty in presenting all portions of the shank of the shoe, and even of the heel breast surface in the case of shoes having Louis heels, to the abrasive belt 48.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent o! the United States is:

1. A machine for bumng shoe bottoms and like articles comprising a form block, an abrasive belt supported against the pressure of the work by said form block, said form block having a sharply rounded portion for shaping said abrasive belt to operate upon the curved shanks of shoes and having also a relatively fiat portion for supporting the abrasive belt for operation upon relatively Ilat portions of shoe bottoms, an inflated belt interposed between said abrasive belt and said form block, and means for driving said inflated belt and with it said abrasive belt.

2. A machine for buing shoe bottoms and like articles comprising a form block having a sharp- 1y rounded portion and a relativelyat portion, an abrasive belt supported against the pr'essure of the Work by said form block, an inflated belt interposed between said abrasive belt and said form block, said inflated belt having a plurality of relatively narrow ribs upon its interior surface to prevent collapse as it passes around the sharply curved portion of the form block, and means for driving said belts.

FREDERIC E. BERTRAND. 

